The term “abutment rotary pump” is used herein to refer to a device comprising a movable partition separating the inlet and outlet streams within a stator chamber or housing and a rotor that rotates within the chamber to cause sequential intake, compression, and the exhaust of a fluid medium such as a gas, a liquid, or combination thereof. The term, therefore, comprehends not only devices that cause fluid movement but also devices that compress or pressurize fluids with or without ignition or combustion. Further, the term “abutment rotary pump” embraces a reverse operation in which fluid drives a rotor rather than the rotor driving the fluid, i.e., in reverse operation every pump is effectively a motor. Existing abutment rotary pumps use complex linkages, weights on the abutment, and springs to assure abutment contact with the rotor.
One example of an abutment configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,395 to Nittka. The pump in the Nittka patent comprises a rotor working in unison with a flap valve requiring numerous components. The device is characterized by the complexity of the many parts required to manipulate a flap valve.
Another example of an abutment configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 715,933 to Allen. The engine and pump in the Allen patent comprises dual abutments working in unison with rotary valves with exhaust stream traveling through a port in the rotor expelled through the driveshaft. The device is complicated and requires several parts working in combination with the abutments.
An alternative abutment configuration is shown U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/022,486 to applicant. A swinging abutment maintains contact with the rotor to partition the intake and outlet ports. The abutment is actuated primarily from the outlet pressure generated from a rotating rotor.
An example of utilizing magnets to repel in a pumping configuration is shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/050,498 to Youker and Jaques. Unlike the applicant, the Youker and Jaques “vane” rotary pump configuration uses repelling magnets in a less demanding or ancillary role. The Youker and Jaques invention more importantly requires in addition, various magnetized components and centrifugal force to slidingly engage the multiple vanes to effect pumping. The invention has many parts and is elaborate as compared to the of applicant's use of repelling magnets in an abutment configuration.
It would be advantageous to simplify pump abutments to seal working members within the confines of the stator.